Steven Pinker on Good Writing with Ian McEwan, Royal Geographical Society

What constitutes good writing? 

In a unique conversation at the Royal Geographical society Professor Steven Pinker and novelist Ian McEwan will explore and explain linguistic mastery, from both a literary and scientific perspective.

Harvard Psychology Professor Steven Pinker will posit that bad writing cannot be blamed on technology or slipping standards. As author of eight best-selling books exploring overlap between psychology, science and language, his research on the subject is extensive and highly influential. His latest book, The Sense of Style , gives a wry examination of successful writing in terms of both clear communication and elegance. His argument is based on the idea of language as an instinct, which is reflected in Ian McEwan’s acclaimed novels.

Counting the Man Booker Prize, a CBE and the Jerusalem Prize among his many accolades, McEwan can certainly be considered an expert on effective writing. The literary value of his own writing interacts with a prominent focus upon science: his masterpiece Enduring Love has a science writer as its protagonist, whilst Saturday follows a neurosurgeon. 

With these two eminent figures and such a fascinating subject this is an unmissable evening – and you may well come away a better writer.